Ink supply means



Mar h 26, 1940- A. D. ROBINSON 2,194,723

INK SUPPLYING MEANS File'd Jan. 24, 19:9

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 26, 1940 UNI-TED vMugs PATENT o Fic f v p INK SUPPLY MEANS Archie D. Robinson, Westfield, Mass. I Application January 24, 1939, Serial N 252,570

Claims.

construction which make the same easy to manufactur'e, as well as easy to assemble. As will appear, the well member itself is constructed to be relatively low and flat whereby the same may rest solidly and conveniently on the desk or the like and the danger of tipping is overcome.

Still another object is the provision of a pensupporting construction adapted to support thepen on an angle relative to the vertical. This facilitates ready and easy insertion and withdrawal of the pen into and from the ink supply, and supports the pen at such an angle that the feed member is submerged to the extent best adapted for properly filling the feed reservoir.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an ink-well member which may be sold separately and an ornamental cover. member for said member, which also may be sold as a sepa- 30 prevent ink from creeping up on the portion of the pen which is ordinarily grasped between the fingers and consequently soiling the fingers.

Various other novel featuresand advantages and other objects of my invention will be hereinafter more fully described and referred to in the accompanying drawing,

connection with wherein:

Fig. l is a. plan view of the ink-well construction of the invention with a certain ornamenting member removed;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational View of the complete article of the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view of a pensupporting member. I a

Referring now to the drawing more indetail the invention will be fully described.

An ink-well member consists of a relatively flat and low-lying receptacle having side walls 2, up-

rate unit. The latter is adapted to overlie the ink-containing member so that various efiects pen adapted to be received therein, in such a way that the pen cooperates with the support to per well 4, and a lower wall 6. The lower wall 6 is prelerablyformed to have a sump 8 as shown. v

The upper wall i is provided with an opening ill and extending upwardly therearound is an internally-threaded socket member 12. It will be notedthatthe socket member 12 extends upwardly at an angle relative to the vertical and preferably this angle ranges between eight and thirty degrees for a purpose which will later appear. An inwardly projecting flange l4 may be pro vided around the lower side of. the bore of the socket member it. As shown, this flange l4 may be substantially one. plane with the main part of the upper wall and it may bear a designation to indicate the level to fill to when replenishing the supply of ink. i

What I call a pen support is tubular in for and adapted to receive a penP. Intermediate its ends is an outwardly-extending peripheral flange 22 having screw threads as shown for engaging the threads of the socket member l2. At least the lower part of the bore 24 of this pen-support tapers downwardly and inwardly as shown.

The interiorof the lower part at least of the said bore 25 is also provided with a plurality of. spaced ribs 25. These facilitate drainage downwardly of any ink that happens to get into the bore, and are. engageable by the lower end of a pen holder 39 for supporting it. p

The pen indicated by P includes a holder and pen point 32 carried by the lower or forward end of the same. Around the forward end of the holder 38 there is preferably an. annular flange 3 of such size relative to the bore 24 that it engages the ribs of the tapering part of the bore of the support when disposed therein as shown in Fig. 2. This cooperative relationship prevents the pen P from sliding too far down, into the ink supply as well as prevents ink from riding upwardly and onto the finger-gripping part-of the holder.

Thematerlal of which the well, socket. and support members are made may vary. It is common, however, to form them of plastic, hard rub her or the like.

There is provided what I call a cover or shell member having a top wall 40 and side walls 42 extending downwardly therefrom for lying adjacentthe walls 2 and l respectively oithe well member. The top wall M) is provided with an aperture M of suflicient size that the socket and support members may extend therethrough as shown.

The cover member may be made of various materials but plastic substances which readily lend themselves to ornamentation are especially suitable for this purpose.

It will be noted that both opening 44 and the cover member are longer than the socket member and the well member respectively.

In assembling the parts described, I place the cover member over the well member with the socket member extending upwardly through opening 4 5.

In order to hold the parts in this assembled relation I secure a member such as 511 in a partial slot in the sides of member [2 with wall between member and wall 4.

t will be noted that member 50 is more or less crescent-shaped andthat it surrounds a substantial partof the socket member I2.

I further provide some means to lie over and around the socket and support members and the member 5% so as to cover up the same and beautify the appearance of the complete article. This means may take various forms but preferably consists of a bezel such as 5 2.

This bezel is preferably of metal, but may be otherwise, and is provided with an opening of a size that receives the upper end portion of the pen support and its lower marginal edge is in engagement with the upper surface 40 of the cover. While the bezel may be held in this position in various ways, the preferred way is to provide a continuous groove 54 in the upper surface of the cover which will extend around the opening it and'is adapted to receive the lower marginal edge of the bezel.

Where the latter is in the form of a hollow semi-sphere as shown, the lower marginal edge may be slightly out of round and the groove 54 circular so that member 52 may then be snapped into the groove 55 so as to hold itself in place.

The finished article may have a cardboard or any other kind of filler member 56 surrounding the sump forming part so as to make an even bottom surface. A pad 58 of some relatively resilient material such as felt, rubber, or the like may be adhesively secured to the bottom of the whole device.

It will be noted that the arrangement is such that the support 20 may always be above the level of the ink. That is, the parts are so constructed that when the container is full, the support may be moved to an upper position where it is out of contact with the ink, yet the point extends into the supply the proper distance, so that thepen point is inked.

Also, while the body part of the support 20 is relatively small in diameter so as to readily receive the pen yet not be too bulky or awkward in appearance, by reason of the flange 22 good secure threaded engagement is had between the support and socket members, which makes for stability and security.

i The construction is preferably such that when the support 2E) is screwed to the lowest position permitted, the pen point 32 does not hit the bottom of the well so as to be injured but does, however, extend into the sump. Thus, the point is able to use up practically all of the ink.

It will also be noted that when the pen rests in the support, the back of the nib contacts the side of the lower part of the bore of support Hi. This tends to hold the pen in such a position that the sides of the handle do not touch the inside of the support 20.

This is desirable because some users instinctively shake a little ink ofi the point of the pen so that it spatters on the inside of the upper part of the support. By holding the holder spaced from the support, the holder does not become messy with ink.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An ink-well construction comprising in combination, a container for ink having a pen-holding socket member extending upwardly therefrom on an angle to the vertical and provided with a circular groove in the upper surface of its upper wall, and an inverted cup-shaped member on said container having an opening at one side of its center-through which said socket member extends, the rim of said cup-shaped member being slightly out of round and'extending into said groove. f

2. An ink-well construction comprising in combination, a container for ink having an internally-threaded socket member extending upwardly therefrom on an angle to the vertical and provided with a continuous groove in the upper surface of its upper wall, a tubular support member having an annular projection on its outer surface intermediate its upper and lower ends, said projection having threads in engagement with the threads of said socket member whereby the support member is movable up and down relative to the level of the ink in said container, an inverted cup-shaped member having an opening at one side of its center through which said support member extends, the rim of said cupshaped member extending into said groove.

3. An ink-well construction comprising in combination, an outer casing which is longer than it is wide and of less height than it is wide, said casing being provided with an opening in its upper wall, an inner container for ink of substantially the same shape as but of less size than said casing disposed therein, said container being provided with an internally-threaded socket member which extends upwardly therefrom through said opening and on an angle to the vertical, said socket member being threaded internally, and a tubular support member having an annular projection on its outer surface intermediate its upper and lower ends, said projection having threads in threaded engagement with the threads of said socket member whereby the support member is movable up and down relative to the level of the ink in said container.

4. An ink-well construction comprising in combination, an outer casing which is longer than it is wide and of less height than it is wide, said casing being provided with an opening in its upper wall, an'inner container for ink of substantially the same shape as but of less size than said casing disposed therein, said container being provided with an internally-threaded socket member which extends upwardly therefrom through said opening and on an angle to the vertical, said socket member being threaded internally, a tubular support member having an annular projection on its outer surface intermediate its upper and lowerends, said projection having threads in engagement with the threads of said socket member whereby the support member is movable up and down relative to the level of the ink in said container, said socket member having an inwardly extending groove in a side thereof, and part secured to the upper wall of said casing and extending into saidgroove.

5. An ink-well construction comprising in combination, an outer casing which is longer than it is Wide and of less height than it is wide, said casing being provided with an opening in its upper wall, an inner container for ink of substantially the same shape as but of less size than said casing disposed therein, said container being provided with an internally-threaded socket member which extends upwardly therefrom through said opening and on an angle-t0 the vertical, said socket member being threaded internally, a tubular support member having an annular projection on its outer surface intermediate its upper and lower ends, said projection having threads in engagement with the threads of said socket member whereby the support member is movable up and down relative to the level of the ink in said container, said socket member having an inwardly extending groove in a side thereof, part secured to the upper wall of said casing and extending into said groove, and an inverted cup-shaped member on said casing having an opening at one side of its center through which said socket member exthe upper wall of said casing.

ARCHIE D. ROBINSON. 

